Remington Rodeo RM5118R Review

November 13, 2015

The best chainsaws in the world are made by Huqsvarna and Stihl. Unfortunately, they’re also some of the most jaw droppingly expensive. So what do you do if you want some serious power without the serious cash outlay? You go with a brand like Remington.

They’ve been around for years, they’re known for the quality of their products (both in the hedge and hair removal industries) and yet they keep their prices more or less reasonable. And today I’ll be talking about a perfect examples of this, the RM5118R Rodeo.

Considering the power involved, it’s an absolute steal. It also looks like something out of a horror movie if you’re into that kind of thing. Either way read on to learn more.

First Impressions

I’m ashamed to say that my first impression of the Rodeo were based solely on aesthetics. It’s the worst reason in the world to buy a chainsaw but let’s face it, it’s stylish as hell. After I got over my man crush for a piece of metal, I checked out the instructions and they were both detailed and easy to follow. It came fully assembled and I was good to go in minutes.

First time chainsaw users would probably require a good 30 minutes but that’s primarily for safety reasons.

Unlike some chainsaws it also comes with all the necessary oils. In other words, all you need is a gas can to get cutting.

Performance

The primary selling point of the Rodeo is the price to power ratio. At the time of writing, it’s on the market for 179 dollars. And for that, you’re getting a 51CC 2 cycle engine complete with an 18 blade. Go with a different (better brand) and you can easily spend 2 to 4 times that.

According to Remington, the Rodeo has primarily been designed for cutting firewood, cleaning up after the odd storm and trimming medium to large trees. Aside from the fact that large tree can mean just about anything, I think this description is pretty spot on.

You won’t be cutting down 50 year old trees but if it’s in your backyard, it’s more power than you’ll ever need. I also tried it on a few medium trees in the (30+ inches) and it didn’t break a sweat.

If you’ve never used a 50 plus CC chainsaw before, you’ll notice the difference immediately.

Ease of Use

25 pounds is a little on the heavy side but that’s a consequence of the 50cc engine rather than a design defect.

Aside from that, it couldn’t be more user friendly. The weight is distributed about as evenly as possible, the handle is comfortable to hold, and the built in anti vibration features do exactly what they promise.

I also loved the Quickstart technology which again is pretty self explanatory. I’ve used plenty of chainsaws that are a nightmare to get started and this is the very opposite.

Being gas powered, it also comes with the usual pluses and cons versus electric.

Durability

If it wasn’t for the somewhat mixed reviews below, I would have expected this machine to last well beyond the two year warranty. Remington are a highly reputable brand and aside from the somewhat flimsy chain, the parts are solid even before you consider the price.

The chassis is die cast. The automatic oiler ensures that you don’t forget to keep the engine lubricated. And the crankcase and sprocket are “pro-grade” which upon further research isn’t actually a meaningless marketing term.

Unfortunately, some reviews do suggest otherwise.

Reputation

Reviews for the Rodeo are somewhat mixed. 4.0 stars out of 5 on Amazon isn’t terrible but it’s not exactly very reassuring either. 60% of customers did give it the full 5 stars but there were multiple complaints from the rest. The most common complaint was durability. One person claimed just 35 days of use (5 days more than the less than generous return policy).
Others complained that it was heavier and less powerful than expected.

Verdict

My personal experience with this tool couldn’t have been more positive. Forgetting the stupid grin that I got when I opened the box, it’s powerful, easy to use, seems very well made and again, it’s excellent value.

Unfortunately, the mixed customer reviews mean that I have to suggest approaching the purchase with caution. Basically, I think it all comes down to what you value most, guaranteed reliability or excellent value.

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